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LSK issues ultimatum for compensation of farmers affected by fake fertilisers

LSK President Faith Odhiambo addresses the media on Monday, April 22, 2024. (Photo: Faith Odhiambo/X)

By Barack Oduor | Monday, April 22, 2024

Other than suing the government, LSK threatened to petition Parliament to impeach CS Linturi if its demands were unmet.

The Law Society of Kenya has threatened to sue the government within two weeks if it fails to compensate farmers affected by the fake fertiliser scandal.

LSK wants Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi, the National Cereals and Produce Board, the Kenya Bureau of Standards and any other government official involved in the distribution of counterfeit fertiliser held liable.

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Through its president, Faith Odhiambo, LSK called out Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi on Monday, accusing him of failing to address the scandal adequately.

"We call out the Cabinet Secretary and demand that he take action to address the unprecedented horror show disguised as the National Fertiliser Subsidy Programme and offer reparations to affected farmers," Odhiambo, who was flanked by other LSK officials, demanded.

The organisation said it formally wrote to the cabinet secretary, demanding he consider and implement several recommendations deemed more effective in addressing underlying issues.

LSK also castigated how the National Fertiliser Subsidy Programme was managed since its inception, claiming that operations were marred with allegations of breach of duty, acts of incompetence, and fraud and corruption.

Other than suing the government, LSK threatened to petition Parliament to impeach CS Linturi if its demands were unmet.

"We will petition Parliament to call for the immediate removal of Mithika Lintuti from the office on the grounds of gross misconduct, violation of the constitution, and incompetence to hold public office,” Odhiambo, who succeeded Eric Theuri as LSK President in March this year, warned.

LSK President Faith Odhiambo addresses the media on Monday, April 22, 2024. (Photo: Faith Odhiambo/X)

LSK President Faith Odhiambo addresses the media on Monday, April 22, 2024, demanding farmers affected by fake fertilisers to be compensated. (Photo: Faith Odhiambo/X)

In an effort to hold the government accountable, LSK urged farmers countrywide to register their complaints about the fake fertiliser in its regional offices.

"We are asking farmers who were affected by the distribution of fake fertilisers across the country to register their complaints in our regional offices to enable us to take appropriate action," Odhiambo added.

LSK plans to use the details provided by the farmers to file a class action lawsuit against the government on their behalf.

Other than LSK, MPs aligned with the opposition outfit, Azimio, also threatened to impeach CS Linturi. Githunguri MP Gathoni wa Muchomba, elected via the ruling party, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), also joined the clamour to oust Linturi.

The lawmakers, led by Bumula MP Jack Wamboka, Antony Kibagendi (Kitutu Chache), Catherine Omanyo (Busia Woman Rep), Caleb Amisi (Saboti), and Mark Mwenje (Embakasi), gave President William Ruto until April 22, 2024, to sack the CS lest they file an impeachment motion.

However, while speaking at Citizen TV during an interview on Thursday, April 11, 2024, CS Mithika Linturi continued to accuse his critics of trivialising the fertiliser programmer.

“People have just taken the matter and politicised it but if we were to have people who have no interest completely to explain to the public to understand it,” Linturi told Citizen TV anchor Sam Gituku.